Pfizer treatment gains conditional approval
China’s top drug regulator has given conditional approval for Pfizer’s COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, making it the first oral pill for the disease approved in the country.
The drug can be used to treat adults who have mild to moderate symptoms and a high risk of progressing to more severe disease, the National Medical Products Administration said on Feb 12.
Clinical trial data released by Pfizer found that Paxlovid could reduce the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization or death by 87.8 percent when given within five days of the onset of symptoms. The drug was also found effective against the prevailing variants, including the Delta and Omicron variants.
As of Feb 12, Paxlovid is authorized for emergency use and has been granted conditional marketing approval in about 40 countries.